Pat McAfee did his best to hype up the Pirates as Pittsburgh endures lean times

It’s hard for a West Virginia Mountaineer to get much love in Pitt territory even, if that player is Allegheny county native Pat McAfee. Still, the former NFL punter and current ESPN commentator generated a ton of buzz and energy with his brash speech about the Pirates ahead of Pitt’s game against Notre Dame on Saturday. While Pitt rolled over on the gridiron, McAfee’s dynamic call to action and Kirk Herbstreit’s nostalgia for the “We Are Family” Pirates of the late 1970s may be the exact thing this city needs.

It seems like the best of times and the worst of times in Pittsburgh sports. Paul Skenes added the NL Cy Young (hopefully the first of many) to his trophy cabinet, but the Pirates remain committed to a slim payroll and are shying away from getting Skenes the offensive support he needs. The Steelers are in control of the AFC North, but Aaron Rogers has a broken wrist and the Ravens are on the rise. Similarly, the Penguins have spoiled an 8-4 start by going 2-5 so far in November. The boys in black and gold need a spark.

Pat McAfee may have just given Pittsburgh sports the boost they need with Pirates speech

McAfee’s speech was as much about civic pride as it was about the quality of play in Pittsburgh. He shouted out PNC Park as “the most beautiful ballpark in all of MLB.” Herbstreit’s references to Kent Tekulve and Willie Stargell practically cued up “We Are Family” to play on College GameDay.

McAfee called out Pittsburgh’s reputation as a tough, blue collar town, and it’s time for the Pirates (and the other sports teams) to embrace that identity. Things are bleak in the Pittsburgh sports landscape, but gritty, hard-nosed players make it through the toughest times. Pittsburgh and the Pirates need icons of toughness and steel like Mean Joe Greene, Darius Kasparaitis, and Ed Ott.

So, as ironic as it may seem (and in spite of the boos), a former WVU player may just have provided the answer to Pittsburgh’s tribulations. It’s time for the players to embrace Pittsburgh’s identity of resilience and once again claim the title of “City of Champions.”